Cost of Living Comparison Between Cesena and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Cesena and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Cesena versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,510 in Cesena versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,360 in Cesena versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Cesena costs roughly 25% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cesena 24% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.23 €14.82

$15.91 €13.69

8.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.1 €70.6

$64.8 €55.7

26.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.35 €9.77

$10.51 €9.04

7.99%

Cappuccino

$1.92 €1.65

$2.87 €2.47

-33.10%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 €2.22

$2.24 €1.93

15.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 €1.01

$1.50 €1.29

-21.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.75 €4.95

$3.49 €3.00

64.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 €3.87

$3.88 €3.34

15.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 €1.21

$1.14 €0.98

23.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 €1.02

$1.75 €1.51

-32.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.76 €1.51

18.75%

Eggs

$2.27 €1.95

$3.22 €2.77

-29.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.53 €12.50

$13.49 €11.61

7.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.10 €9.55

$7.91 €6.81

40.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.17 €14.77

$15.87 €13.65

8.19%

Apples (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$2.31 €1.99

-23.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.70 €1.46

5.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 €2.20

$2.01 €1.73

27.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.55 €3.05

$2.46 €2.12

44.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 €1.38

$1.84 €1.59

-13.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 €1.33

$2.00 €1.72

-23.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 €0.97

$1.93 €1.66

-41.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.34 €0.29

$0.79 €0.68

-56.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.84

$6.61 €5.68

2.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.18 €6.18

$5.72 €4.92

25.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 €1.09

$1.37 €1.17

-8.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.46

$2.97 €2.56

-43.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.37 €2.04

-2.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.30 €32.94

$45.56 €39.19

-15.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 €6.85

$4.29 €3.69

85.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.18 €1.88

$0.82 €0.70

165.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.17 €30.25

$18.30 €15.74

92.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.72

$2.06 €1.78

-2.91%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$37.1K €31.9K

$34.3K €29.5K

8.26%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$40.3K €34.6K

$39.3K €33.8K

2.49%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$197 €170

$148 €127

33.39%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$13.03 €11.20

$20.52 €17.65

-36.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.04 €26.70

$39.61 €34.08

-21.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.6 €48.69

$47.85 €41.16

18.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.23 €12.24

$18.92 €16.28

-24.79%

Cinema Ticket

$10.44 €8.98

$9.18 €7.90

13.73%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$565 €486

$614 €528

-7.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,728 €5,788

$16.0K €13.8K

-58.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.2 €77.6

$105 €90.0

-13.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.83 €29.96

$42.06 €36.18

-17.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.0

$94.0 €80.8

8.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €108

$120 €103

5.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$654 €562

$1,628 €1,400

-59.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 €489

$1,255 €1,080

-54.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,283 €1,104

$3,030 €2,607

-57.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$851 €732

$2,020 €1,738

-57.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,115 €2,680

$7,800 €6,709

-60.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,697 €2,320

$4,273 €3,675

-36.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,844 €1,586

$1,603 €1,379

14.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.44

3.81

16.54%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Cesena: June 1, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $654 in Cesena and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cesena pays 15% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $82.0 in Cesena vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $282 vs $269 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Cesena vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cesena and Lisbon differ by about 33% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $2,210 including rent). Cesena is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Cesena pays 15% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $654 in Cesena versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cesena – a meal for two runs $82.0 versus $65.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,660 per month in Cesena versus $2,210 in Lisbon – a 33% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,660 in Cesena versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Cesena but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Cesena the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Cesena and Lisbon are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Cesena gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.